A new 50,000 panel solar farm is to be allowed to stay in place for longer than expected.
Energy company Green Energy International (GEINT) first earmarked land 800 metres southwest of Patrickston Farm off the A811 near Gargunnock in 2018.
Stirling Council officials conditionally granted the company’s planning application for the 15MW, 64-acre renewable energy project in May last year – with one of the conditions that the land be restored after 35 years.
However, the company have now been granted conditional approval to extend this to 40 years after submitting an application for a variation of the condition.
In their submission they said: “The proposed extension of the operational lifespan from 35 years to 40 year has been carefully considered. An extension would result in greater environmental benefits both to the local area through clean energy, but also on a national scale, as the site would continue to help Scotland meet its net zero carbon goals.
“The ability for an extension for this site has been framed through the greater efficiency of the panels fitted. From the time of the original submission of the application, the design of the solar panels which will be fitted has improved. This will result in greater levels of energy produced from the same amount of panels as stated in the original planning application.”
Livestock will continue to graze on the Patrickston Farm site throughout the existence of the solar farm.
GEINT specialises in developing large-scale solar farms which allow rural businesses and landowners to diversify.
No objections were submitted to their original application, which included ground mounted fixed solar panels, a substation building, invertor stations, access tracks, perimeter deer fences and pole mounted CCTV cameras.
The panels are typically 0.8m off the ground, with a maximum height of approximately 2.6 metres. The panels will face south and will be angled at 23 degrees. Areas underneath are used for livestock grazing.
When originally approving the solar farm council planners acknowledged it would result in a “substantial magnitude of change on this existing landscape resource” but agreed the development would “fit with the pattern and scale of the wider landscape”.
In their decision on the variation, council planners said: “Conditions have been applied which restrict the planning permission to 40 years, and following this the restoration of the site in accordance with an agreed restoration plan.
“In the event of the site becoming redundant, a condition has been applied which addresses liability for restoration. Also, in the event of a continuous period of six months of the photovoltaic scheme failing to produce electricity, the application site shall be reinstated by the site owner in accordance with the agreed restoration scheme.”
